Longer stays, what do you do about Fri/Sat nights to conserve points??

[Nick@ VB+OKW]

Originally posted by ScottOKW2K
BTW, as far as shooting the less than 400 point people, be careful. The Marines trained me on how to shoot. Better make your first shot count - you won't get a second

!

 

[Pig Pen]

Since I have only one DVC stay under my belt, I am on the fence. Our last trip in order to save points we stayed at CSR on Thurs, Fri, and Sat ($79 per night - super low AP rates) then moved to VWL Sun-Thurs nights.

Although our move went smoothly, mentally it was hanging over our heads the first couple days and seemed to put a damper on the trip. We had split our stays before, but we always had a car and did it ourselves. This trip we didn't have a car so the CMs moved us and we worried about it.

As I said, everything went smoothly.

Our next trip we will have a car, there will be at least 5 of us in a 2 bedroom, and we are NOT planning to move for the weekend. I want to check-in and not have to worry about packing up until the bitter end. We considered splitting the stay but decided to spend the points this time and figure out what works for us. After all, we still have 39 more years to adjust our process!

Hopefully on Oct 7 - my 7 month window - I will have reserved nine nights at BWV! Second choice is OKW if BWV is full. Wish me luck.

 

[TDC Nala]

Three words.... Animal Kingdom Lodge.


One of these trips, I'm going to spend the weekend at a Universal hotel.


sorry Richyams and the weekend points proponents, but I go too often to use points for weekend nights. The weekend points are probably higher to keep people like me - not to mention locals - from booking up lots of weekends.

and to be even more obnoxious, I only stay in studios... all that space is totally wasted on me... ha!

 

[ScottOKW2K]

Nick@ VB+OKW , I love that smiley ! As the Joker (Jack) said about Batman in the first movie - "Where does he get those neat toys ?"

TDC Nala Agree with all your points, except the studios. We love all the extra space on the 1 bedroom and above. Besides, I have been told I snore

so having another room to sleep in has its advantages.

 

[Happy Birthday Cat]

Like many others, we go over to US for a Friday and a Saturday either at the beginning, middle or end of the trip, always for a Friday and Saturday night.

We are going for 14 days this December/January. For the Friday and Saturday in between, we will be at the HRH. I don't mind using one weekends' worth of points at a DVC. I don't like using two weekends' worth.

Good to see ncligs posting again. Oh yeah, its Nick@VB+OKW!

HBC

 

[TiggerFreak]

(Puts Bullet Proof Vest On)

We like using weekends for trying out the other hotels in the world.

Maybe when we have stayed at all of them we will rent out points for Sunday-thru-Fridays on Ebay for cost!

(sound of shot being fired)

 

[mom2alix]

I guess I'm a little slow, but I never thought of doing the weekend at Universal as a way to save points. I LOVE Disney and DVC which is all we're doing to this trip, but we have a big family trip planned for later with a couple of teenagers and they'd really like to do US too. I'd never heard of this FOTL pass. This is such a great forum. Thanks so much for all the great ideas!

 

[Peterd]

One thing that's great about the front of the line deal at Universal is that if you stay Friday and Saturday (with a plan to check in to DVC on Sunday), you get to use the front of the line at Universal while waiting for check in at your DVC resort.
I usually get up Sunday morning at the Universal resort while everyone else is still sleeping and drive over to the BW to check in. I'll get my keys to the room, work out at the BW, and return to Universal. We check out, put the luggage in the car, and head to the parks again. You get the front of the line at Universal for your' checkout day. We call from Universal during the day for our room numbers, and when the parks close head to BW. We sometimes stay at our DVC resort on the weekends, but the kids love the Universal hotels and parks, and this works out great for us.

 

[Deb & Bill]

We always stay put at our DVC resort - we don't switch resorts to save points. But, if we are arriving late at night, we stay elsewhere (maybe a DTD resort or moderate), I get up early the next AM and check us in. Then go back to get the rest of the family checked out of where we spent the night. We usually arrive on Sat or Sun and spend 6-9 days.

 

[TDC Nala]

TDC Nala Agree with all your points, except the studios. We love all the extra space on the 1 bedroom and above.

that's because you are a "we" and I am an "I".... I definitely would rather have the extra points than the extra space.

 

[Muushka]

We always switch to USF hotel on the weekend (usually at the end). We always arrive on a Sat night and stay somewhere for a bed, then check-in to DVC on Sunday. Check out Fri am and swing on over to Universal-either HRH or PBH.

I really don't care if others think this is wrong (Richyams ), the points are just too high on the weekends and is a waste to me. Also, we really enjoy staying at USF and our packing is so streamlined because we have done it so many times that it is a piece of cake!

 

[July]

Since we have only stayed twice at DVC since buying this year, maybe its unfair for me to say. Our first stay started on a Saturday gosh those weekend points are costly, the rest of our nights have been weeknights. But our next trip coming up is for a Fri & Sat night (just the weekend). They knew what they were doing by making those points alot higher on weekends. Its a special weekend (Anniversary). On our vacation short one in May it will include the weekend. When we bought we tried to get enough points to be able to take 10-14 days a year. Including a couple of weekends.

Who knows how I will feel after doing this in a couple of years may change my mind. To each his own.

July

 

[dcfromva]

My regular days off are Sunday and Monday and I work late until 11pm on Sat, so my vacation generally starts on a Sunday. Staying for 7 nights, we generally stay at DVC for Sun-Fri (morning) and go to Portofino Bay for the remainder of our visit. The FOTL access is just too cool to pass up. If they didn't have FOTL access at Universal, it would be a tougher decision to check out of one hotel and check into another--I'm sure there would be a lot of groussing in my family--(especially since we like to stay in a 2 BR unit at DVC--versus a regular hotel room at PBH)

Our next stay involves a Saturday night stay since we are only going to be there for 3 nights and don't plan to visit Universal. (We get to see what its like to stay on a Saturday night )


-DC

 

[disneycrazed139]

Extra points means more total days in Disney for me, so conservation might come into play. I don't think I would switch from DVC to non-DVC though. I think I'd begin the vacation at a non-DVC for Fri and Sat--maybe the dolphin and have DVC to anticipate those 2 nights before checking in on Sunday. It would make switching that much more fun. I sort of like hotel hopping so this doesn't really bother me. (at least not at this point in my life) I suppose if I had small children or otherwise couldn't get around very easily, it would be too much of a hassle.

Those that can afford to be more frivolous with their points...

more power to you!

 

[mbb]

...nooooo! Not that! THAT would be off topic!!

We like that the DVCpoints system lets all of us have discussions like this, and, in the end, we all get to do what we want!

Lovin' my DVC!

 

[twinmomplus2]

We own an interest in DVC. Not in an interest in the best travel plans for each other. I couldn't give a rats fanny if someone thinks its terrible that I do not use my points for weekends, they are my points for which I am paying for. Rant over.... I never stay on the weekends. I can come down for another whole week with what I would have spent on the weekend nights alone. In addition one weekend night say at 51 points. Is 5 nights in a studio for my mother, father, brother, monkeys uncle, whomever. If I move I will have points to share and come back again.
I am with tdcnala.... I also would not have a complete Disney trip (For us) Without a few days at AKL. I Love my DVC but, I equally love my time at the AKL.

 

[twinmomplus2]

sorry double post.